AN: I hope you like this one-shot. It was fun making it. If you can think of another chapter please tell me kk? By the way for those who don't know: Sarutobi is the Third Hokage or sometimes called the Sandaime.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto...

A blonde boy, Naruto, stood alone. He watched the villagers greet their children, most of which had just graduated from the Academy. He on the other hand, had no family to find him and celebrate his graduation. They were all dead. He was an orphan. He dreamed of having a family often, to be loved and accepted into Konoha. Yet, that was not to be. He was to be alone through out his life and was to never have friends. He felt so… so numb inside. Blinking as he watched the smiles and the hugs, and listened to their conversations.

"Great job on graduating honey!"

"Your mom's going to cook a feast!"

"You graduated! That's wonderful! Tell you what, I'll take you to that restaurant you've always wanted to go to."

"I'm a ninja, ninja, NINJA!"

"Yes, you'll be a great ninja, just like your pa."

The village people ignored him. He was a nobody, someone not worth talking to or becoming friends with. The wind ruffled his sun-kissed hair and with it the scene seemed to change. Instead of the villagers smiling at their children, there was Shinobi. They were glaring at him and some were calling out death threats. He watched as some pulled out black kunai and headed towards him. This happened a lot. He was always picked on and beaten up until he was on the brink of dieing, especially when he was alone. He was always alone.

He backed up until his back was pressed right up against a wall. The Shinobi were getting closer. A kunai hit him in his arm causing blood to trickle down his arm, staining his orange jumpsuit. But he felt nothing. Not pain, sorrow, hate, just nothing. The ninja were upon him now, beating him black and blue, but he did not sense their presence anymore. He was in his own world, a world where he was accepted as one of their own Shinobi, not just the Kyuubi brat. Something hit him on the head, snapping out of his trance. It was a rock. Over in the distance he saw a purple haired boy laughing at him. He shuddered as he saw the kid throwing more pebbles and stones at him. He felt so alone in this place.

Bonk. A grey rock no larger then a nickel him in the eye. He winced as his vision blurred in his right eye. The once cerulean blue seemed to dull into a musty bluish grey colour. Taking no notice he stopped an incoming attack to his heart.

Bonk. He fell over as he was hit in the chest by a stone the size of his hand and let go of the kunai he was holding. He felt some his ribs snap from the force of the impact. Coughing out blood, Naruto watched his tenant start to heal his injuries. Now the ninja would start to call him monster. But, what did it matter anyways? No one cared for him so why should these people? All well it was better then being set on fire like last time.

Bonk. Someone kneeled over him. One foot was on his stomach, making it harder to breath, the other was beside his legs. The man chuckled. His green eyes seemed to sparkle with hatred as his long white hair blew in the chilly wind.

"What are you going to do now Kyuubi?"

Silence met the Konoha nin's question. The nin put a kunai up against the brat's neck. Pale moonlight reflected of its sleek dark coloured metal. Crimson coloured liquid began to flow from the Genin's neck as the weapon pierced his skin. Still there was no pain. Footsteps could be heard which didn't belong to his attackers. It sounded more stiff and quick stepped. They soon stopped and a frail but commanding voice cut through the ruckus. It belonged to non-other then the Sandaime, or at least Naruto thought so. Was he here to help kill him?

"STOP THIS AT ONCE!"

Almost all the ninja stopped their assault and turned to the aged Hokage. Some were sneering and spitting at his feet while others were pale with fear. The one still on top of Naruto smirked before hitting him brutally on the head. Darkness edged its way into Naruto's vision. Was he finally going to die? Was he finally going to be free from this place? His arms went limp, for he had succumbed to the dark void.

A steady beeping could be heard in the blonde's sensitive ears. Opening his eyes, he looked around the white room. He blinked. He had not died much to his disappointment. Being inside of a hospital was not fun especially the one he was in. Looking around the room, he almost sighed with disappointment. There was nobody visiting him. Well, it's not like anyone would visit him in the first place.

He watched as the door opened and an angry nurse walked into the room and threw him onto the floor with a loud thump. The pale blue blankets slid to the floor and landed on the heart monitor. The steady beeping of the machine turned into one long beep that never stopped, almost as if agreeing he should be dead. One of his unhealed wounds opened up again as its stitches burst apart. Blood pooled beneath him, staining his hospital garment. The raven-haired nurse kicked him in the side and snarled at him.

"Get out you monster!"

Naruto picked himself up off the floor and ran. What's the use of arguing? Looking at the blood seeping out of his rather large cut and leaving a trail behind him, he left the accursed hospital and headed up towards the Hokage monument. He would be safe there. There he would be alone and free from the brutal attacks on him.

He climbed up the face of the third one step after another as he began to feel drained and weak. Normally one would be concerned about how much blood he had lost already, but he wasn't. Not in the slightest. Coughing up more blood he reached the top and sat down, staring at the village below him and all of the happy villagers and children.

He sat like that for a few minutes before he felt his legs go numb from the lack of blood. Why wasn't the Kyuubi healing him? Was it finally letting him die? Someone tapped him on the shoulder and then sat down beside him. Naruto looked at the man in Hokage robs, which were now turning all red from the puddle of blood he was in. The aged man looked worried. Why wasn't Naruto in the hospital? His dark coloured eyes narrowed. He knew why. They had kicked him out hadn't they? Despite his knowledge that Naruto wouldn't live much longer he asked,

"Naruto? Are you all right?"

Naruto just nodded his head even though the old man knew he wasn't. The latter pulled him into a hug, knowing the boy wouldn't let him help him. Besides his healing powers weren't the best since he was long out of practice with healing. The blonde's blood matted hair brushed up against his neck. This boy reminded him a lot of Konohamaru. The way he used to pray pranks and try to get acknowledgement. It was kind of amusing really. The sound of coughing caught his attention. The boy wasn't doing to well. He most likely only had an hour to live. He hugged him tighter.

"I'm sorry Naruto. I did all I could do."

Naruto looked at Sarutobi with eyes filled with confusion. What did he mean he was sorry? Sorry for what? He wiped his mouth with his blood soaked arm, smearing his face with even more blood.

Noticing Naruto's confusion, Sarutobi smiled. "I care for you Naruto. You're not alone in the world."

The Jinchuuriki jaw opened and closed like a fish. Someone cared for him? He hugged the Sandaime back; tears filled his eyes and slid down his face to mingle with the crimson liquid below. The Sandaime felt a lone tear roll down his face as he listened to Naruto's heart-breaking sobs. The boy's wound was starting to heal, but not fast enough. He wouldn't live past today. That was for sure.

Naruto looked up. Tears streamed down his face and he felt almost happy for the first time in his life. But that was short lived as realization dawned upon him as he noticed he could no longer feel or move his legs. He didn't want to die. Not anymore. His gaze locked onto the Sandaime's grief filled eyes.

"I-I feel s-so numb i-inside. I don't w-want to-" He forced himself to choke out the next word he used to want to badly but now feared. " to… d-die."

For Sarutobi that was the last straw. Another tear streamed down his face and then another. He had grown attached to the Yondaime's son and thought of him as his grandson. He ruffled Naruto's hair and tried to comfort him and himself as he watched the boy's eyes go dull.

"Shhh, you'll be alright. I… won't let you die."

Sarutobi bit his tongue in self-hatred. Why did he have to lie to the boy? He watched as the kid in his arms went limp. Why? Why did he have to go in such a way? To die from blood lose and the worst possible moment. His grip tightened on the blonde. 'At least he died knowing someone cared for him.'

Standing up with the boy in his arms he headed over to the Yondaime's head. He looked over the edge to its 'face'. Sarutobi's voice cracked as he tried to find away to say sorry to his successor and his successor's son. The stone cracked in the centre as if the Yondaime had lost all faith in the village. The little pieces of rubble fell towards the ground causing panic below. Now two of the stone faces were cracked.

"I'm sorry Arashi. I couldn't do anything. The fools of a Council wanted him to die a long time ago and banned me from helping the kid out. I should have killed them or at least I could have kept on trying to knock some sense into the old bats." He set the boy down and sat beside the corpse. "But I'll make sure his name is carved into the tribute stone by your name."

Pulling out a three-pronged kunai , which had belonged to the Yondaime and used for his famous Hiraishin no Jutsu, from his soaking wet pocket, he stabbed it into the stone. His old weary eyes seemed to have a new fire in them. "I swear I'll put his name on that stone rather the villagers like it or not."

AN: I know the Third probably wouldn't act like that, but deal with it lol. He seemed sort of Immature... Once again, I hope you liked it. I feel so stupid right now…(I got all depressed to writing this lol) I'm so weird! Well, if you have any questions I'll answer them to the best of my ability lol. Please read and review.

Rabbit of Woe